1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information apparatus for displaying a software object in relation with a display unit and to a machine-readable recording medium having a program stored therein for allowing a computer to function as such an information apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A software object which is recorded and managed can be displayed by the following three methods or a combination thereof.
(1) Displaying a name (e.g., file name) or an ID given in advance for identifying the software object;
(2) Displaying the contents themselves of the software object (e.g., a thumbnail of image data such as photo data): and/or
(3) Displaying a symbol, generally referred to as an xe2x80x9ciconxe2x80x9d, representing the software object.
As an application of method (3), Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 5-61633 discloses an image processing apparatus for changing the display reduction ratio of an image in accordance with the number of objects of the image to be displayed in a display area to display all the objects in a fixed display area.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 9-106336 discloses a process for enlarging and reducing the display area (area inside a display frame).
The image processing apparatus disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 5-61633, which fixes the area for displaying objects in advance, is not applicable to the case where the display area is changed in accordance with a user operation.
The process disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 9-106336 enlarges and reduces the display area in response a user operation. However, the size of letters in text displayed in the display area (the area inside the display frame) does not change regardless of the size of the display area. Accordingly, the range of the text is reduced as the display area is reduced, thus resulting in that some parts of the text are not displayed.
In the case where first-order data such as a text is displayed, substantially no problem occurs in terms of a user interface even when some parts of the text are not displayed. The reason for this is that the non-displayed parts can be displayed by enlarging the display area in a direction in which the text extends (e.g., in the horizontal direction in the case of the letters are written horizontally) by a user operation.
In the case where second-order data such as an image is displayed, user interface is required for enlarging the display area two-dimensionally. However, such user interface is difficult to realize due to display processing between data pieces adjacent to each other when one direction of the image is expressed as successive coordinates represented by a time axis or the like.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an information apparatus includes a management section for managing a software object in relation to a display unit; a scale change section for successively changing a scale of the display unit; and a display section for changing display of image data representing the software object in response to the successive change in the scale of the display unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, the display section changes the display of the image data representing the software object step-by-step in accordance with the scale of the display unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, the management section manages a plurality of image data representing the software object, and the display section selectively displays one of the plurality of image data in accordance with the scale of the display unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, when a plurality of software objects are related to one display unit, the display section displays each of the plurality of software objects in a display manner in accordance with an importance degree of each of the plurality of software objects.
In one embodiment of the invention, the display section comprehensively displays the plurality of software objects as one software object.
In one embodiment of the invention, the management section manages time information related to display of the software object, and the display section determines whether the software object is to be displayed or not in accordance with the time information.
In one embodiment of the invention, when the time information related to display of the software object is abnormal, the display section determines whether the software object is to be displayed or not in accordance with other time information related to display of the software object.
In one embodiment of the invention, the management section initializes the time information to time information related to creation of the software object when the software object is initially created.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an information apparatus includes a management section for managing a first type of software object in relation to a first display unit and managing a second type of software object, which is different from the first type of software object, in relation to a second display unit; a first display section for displaying the first type of software object; and a second display section for displaying the second type of software object. The first display section includes a first scale change section for successively changing a scale of the first display unit, and a first display portion for changing display of image data representing the first type of software object in response to a successive change in the scale of the first display unit. The second display section includes a second scale change section for successively changing a scale of the second display unit, and a second display portion for changing display of image data representing the second type of software object in response to a successive change in the scale of the second display unit.
In one embodiment of the invention, wherein the first display section further includes a notification section for notifying the change in the scale of the first display unit to the second display section, and the second display section further includes a notification section for notifying the change in the scale of the second display unit to the first display section.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a machine-readable recording medium storing a program and a data structure for allowing a computer to function as any of the above-described information apparatuses.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of (1) providing an information apparatus for changing second-order data such as an image in accordance with the scale of a display unit, and (2) providing a recording medium having a program and a data structure stored therein for operating the information apparatus.